I have a co-worker who is starting a small business. He wants me to design a logo for it. My question here is, how much should i charge? Should I charge high and just get paid once, or charge low and try to get a percentage? But then how do I know if i am getting the correct amount? I dont want to rip him off, but i also dont want to be taken advantage of. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Get 50% from his buisness! just kidding...
It's your choice, for a friend do it free, it's a stranger rip-off him.

Charge a fair hourly rate, and if his business succeeds because of your ideas, and hard work, stay involved and keep working, it it falls flat, you at least covered yourself with the hourly rate, good luck, and show us what you come up with so we can tell you what's wrong with it we all love to do that here

I would prefer it at once. Anything else may become stress. You can suggest to design his letterheads, business-cards, website(?) too. Offer him to design advertisments, posters, flyers... this will bring you more fun and money than a percentage. And stay fair!

I'm agreeing with piggy on this one...I'm currently working on a site for someone, they already paid me a huge deposit, I got started on the site...and now...I'm sitting and waiting for his slow ass to get me the rest of the information I need to finish up...So, I kinda wish I had gotten full payment before I started, because now I have to wait and wait and wait to finish before I get the rest of my loot!

Been there Digital P!!!

I would charge $100
But wouldnt spend more than 2 hours on it.

Chances are he'll love it and have you go for the whole shibang:. as yellow piggy said:.

ok, that's it! my ass is slow?? what are you talking in my absence? you will never get the full payment from me, unless you kiss my a**!

I usually charge € 50,- per hour, thats about the same amount in $. (Sorry, € is EURO).

lol im guessing someone has too much time on thier hands here well thats why we're all here i guess

my usual charge is somewhere between 50€ (64$) to 100€(128$) (depending on the specifics)

oh btw omebody mentioned do it for free if it's your friend, I wouldn't recommend that. Before you know it 'another friend', and 'another friend' comes knocking at your door (been there ) Nothing comes for free in life... (alltough you can charge a slightly lower amount)

agree with grefix. but when your friend owns a pub, it can be clever to make him some gift, like free posters. I did that once, and since then, I had lots of free drinks in his pub. much more than I would have charged him for the posters

You talkin' to Me?
YOU TALKIN' TO ME???

I will destroy this site that you so dearly need and replace it with midget porn!

hahahahah

One of my friend/clients owns a fertilizer company

Usually I charge by the hour, but I do a rough estimate at the beginning. Most clients like to know what they might end up spending on a project in advance...

I take a 50% (of the estimate) deposit at the front before I start anything, and then usually get the balance when the files / site is delivered. If it is a really big project I might make it 50% up front, then two payments of 25% (one on delivery of goods, final payment in 30 days.)

Specifically for THIS THREADS TOPIC - a logo I usually do for around $100~150 CAN.

This fluctuates depending on my gut-feeling if a client is going to be a FUSSY client, or one that is easy to please. Either way I do good work, its just that a FUSSY client tends to want to see 10 versions no matter how good they are. After a while your Client Radar will develope and you'll be able to feel out who is going to be a problem client and who is going to be a joy to work with. As you keep going in your business you can get rid of the problem clients and develope your Happy Clients. This will make DOING YOUR JOB just like NOT WORKING for a living, and that is a great thing to aim for!

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